Melissa Emily Wright

Overview

Research Overview

In my PhD, I am using fMRI (3T and 7T) and psychophysics to investigate cortical reorganisation in glaucoma, as well as relationships between the functional architecture of the eye and brain. I am funded by a Fight for Sight PhD studentship.

Research Team

Dr Tony Redmond (Primary supervisor: School of Optometry and Vision sciences, Cardiff University)

Prof Krishna Singh (Second supervisor: CUBRIC, School of Psychology, Cardiff University)

Prof Simon Rushton (Third supervisor: School of Psychology, Cardiff University)

Prof James E Morgan (Collaborator: School of Optometry and Vision sciences, Cardiff University)

Prof Tom Margrain (Collaborator: School of Optometry and Vision sciences, Cardiff University)

Dr Fergal A Ennis (Collaborator: School of Optometry and Vision sciences, Cardiff University)

Educational and Professional Qualifications

2016 – Present: PhD: Cardiff University
2015 – 2016: MSc (Distinction) Neuroimaging: Methods and applications: Cardiff University
2011 – 2015: BSc (1st class) Psychology with integrated placement: Aston University

Publications

Wright, M.E., and Wise, R.G. (2018). Can Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Be Used Accurately to Compare Older and Younger Populations? A Mini Literature Review. Front. Aging Neurosci. 10:371. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00371

Selected conference presentations

Wright, M.E., Singh, K.D., Ruston, S.K., Kusmia, S., Wise, R.G., Schwarzkopf, D.S., & Redmond, T. (2019). Exploring the Haemodynamic Response Function in the occipital lobe in glaucoma. Poster Presentation, Organisation for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) – Rome, Italy.

Wright, M.E., Singh, K.D., Ruston, S.K., Kusmia, S., Wise, R.G., Schwarzkopf, D.S., & Redmond, T. (2019). Exploring the Haemodynamic Response Function in the occipital lobe in glaucoma. Poster Presentation, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) – Vancouver, Canada.

Rudrapatna, S.U., Mueller, L., Wright, M.E., Jones, D.K., & Wise, R.G. (2019). A GRANDIOSE sequence to time-lock BOLD and diffusion-weighted fMRI contrasts in humans using ultra-strong gradients and spirals. Poster presentation, ISMRM – Montreal, Canada.

Wright, M.E., Singh, K.D., Ruston, S.K., Schwarzkopf, D.S. & Redmond, T. (2018). The relationship between cortical receptive field size and eccentricity in V1, V2 and V3 of healthy individuals. Oral Presentation, British Congress of Optometry and Vision Sciences (BCOVS) – Cambridge, UK.

Wright, M.E., Singh, K.D., Ruston, S.K., Schwarzkopf, D.S. & Redmond, T. (2018). The relationship between cortical receptive field size and eccentricity in V1, V2 and V3 of healthy individuals. Oral Presentation, Imaging and Perimetry society 2018 meeting – Kanazawa, Japan.

Invited talks

Wright, M.E., Singh, K.D., Ruston, S.K., & Redmond, T. (2018). Changes in the visual cortex in glaucoma: an fMRI study. Oral presentation, Regional Ophthalmic teaching day – University Hospital Wales.

Wright, M.E, Singh, K.D., Ruston, S.K., Schwarzkopf, D.S. & Redmond, T. (2018). Pushing cortical maps into the periphery: The relationship between cortical receptive field size and eccentricity in V1, V2 and V3 of healthy individuals. Oral Presentation, Crabb Lab seminar series – City, University of London.

Wright, M.E (2017). Changes in the visual cortex in glaucoma and a possible role in visual recovery: an fMRI study. Oral presentation, Regional Ophthalmic teaching day – University Hospital Wales.

Awards and funding

• British Chapter ISMRM Student Stipend 2018 - £75
• Imaging and Perimetry Society (IPS) 2018 travel grant - $1,000
• Masters Excellence Scholarship; Cardiff University 2015 - £3,000 tuition discount
• British Psychological Society Prize for highest graded dissertation 2015; Aston University

Innovation and Engagement

I have twice represented the British Psychological Society at the ‘Big Bang’ Fair at Birmingham, NEC, and also acted as a demonstrator during the ‘Brain Games’, Cardiff University. I am currently an ARVO Science Communication Training Fellow (2019) and have contributed to the online publication 'The Brain Domain'.

Academic Positions

05/2015 – 07/2015 – Research assistant, School of Psychological, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Coventry University.
09/2013 – 03/2015 – Honorary research assistant, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University.
06/2014 – 09/2014 – Research assistant internship, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham.
05/2013 – 08/2013 – Research assistant internship, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham.
06/2012 – 08/2012 – Research assistant internship, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University.